What I Hate about You
by Woodrow Graham Kenobi-Rimmer
Summary: Onyxi is indignant about her situation and her relationship with Torvan has a rocky start. There is more to him than meets the eye however... 'Here Come the Terran' spin-off.
1. Chapter 1

**What I Hate about You**

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**Chapter One: The Talk**

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Torvan's ancestral home was on the outskirts of the city and Onyxi was more than grateful when they finally arrived. Why the Vulcan kept on attempting to make conversation with her was a total mystery. He was oblivious to her distaste with him. As they wound through the halls of the complex it was no different.

"I understand you are esteemed in the field of bioengineering, do you find pleasure in your work?"

Onyxi was beginning to think that she had gotten the chattiest Vulcan of all time. Weren't they supposed to dislike small talk? "Yes, I _love_ being able contribute to society on a practical and _emotional_ level."

"Fascinating." Torvan responded as he entered the code to open her bedroom door.

"What is it that _you _do for a living?" She quipped as she set her luggage remote down on her bedside table.

"I am a professor of astrophysics at the local university. If you like, you could come to one of my lectures sometime." Torvan sensed hostility from Onyxi but decided to acknowledge it would be unwise.

"I'm sure that would be…highly _enlightening_." Onyxi ground out, wondering when he was leaving her room. Her worst fears were confirmed when he pushed the close button on the door and sat in one of her chairs. "Are you sure it's uh, appropriate for you to be alone in this room with me?"

Torvan cocked his head, considering her question. It was true that it could be construed as improper, but he found it illogical to worry about how others construed things. "There is nothing inappropriate about our behavior, therefore there is nothing inappropriate about our being alone together."

"Right." She said wryly, sitting on the bed, as far away from his as possible. To her annoyance he picked up his chair and set it no more than three feet from where she was sitting. Weird curly haired Vulcan that noticed way too many things about her anatomy…

"Before I allow you to rest there is an important matter I must discuss with you."

Onyxi thought she could foresee where this conversation was going. "I'm listening."

"All the Terran females that have been sent to aid Vulcan are required to become bond mates with their hosts and produce offspring for the purpose of preserving our species and culture—

He was about to continue but Onyxi cut him off.

Onyxi smirked; she knew it. "I know."

"You had already concluded from observing the situation that this was the case. That is very perceptive of you."

Onyxi was thrown off balance, she wasn't sure what she had expected his reaction to be, but this wasn't it. "It wasn't that hard to figure out."

"As we are both fully aware of the circumstances, I suggest that we are bonded as soon as possible. I would like to mention though it is irrelevant, that you are an improvement from my originally intended mate. I do not find her aesthetically pleasing, I am glad that I shall experience my first pon farr with you."

Onyxi was working on something really bitchy to say when he mentioned a 'pon farr', what the heck was that? "Pon farr? What's a pon farr?"

"Pon farr is a change that mature Vulcan males undergo every seven years, causing them to lose control of their emotions, they become emotional and irrational and overcome with the desire to mate. If we do not mate during pon farr, we die." Torvan found these matters surprisingly easy to discuss although they were generally considered taboo; somehow speaking of things that were not supposed to be spoken of was quite satisfying. How illogical.

Whoa, Onyxi thought, that is _intense_. Vulcans were creepier than she had originally thought. "You have not experienced pon farr before?"

"No, but my healer told me I will within a year."

"How old were you again?"

"I am 63.5 years old."

Onyxi couldn't resist, she had to ask. "Are you a… virgin?"

Torvan did not recognize the word. "I do not know. I am unfamiliar with the word 'virgin'. Could you give me the definition?"

Onyxi bit her tongue, she had meant to use this information to humiliate him but it appeared that she had dug her own grave. It was her that was feeling humiliated. "Um, uh, well…a virgin is…a virgin is someone who, uh, has never um…_mated_ before."

Torvan blinked. What was the significance of such a question? Vulcans almost never engage in sexual intercourse till they are married; it would be odd if he was _not_ a 'virgin'. "In that case yes, I am a virgin. Are you concerned that my sexual prowess will be lacking?" He leaned closer to her, he was curious as to whether this was the cause of her irritation.

_The nerve of this guy_, Onyxi thought. Here I'm practically going to be raped and he thinks I'm worried that he won't be good in the sack. Un-freakin-believable. "No, I _expect_ your sexual prowess to be lacking. Not that I could ever enjoy screwing someone like you anyway, I would rather be a sex-slave to a Tellarite." She said icily. The injustice of this whole thing was beginning to wear away what was left of her civility.

Torvan straightened up again, taken aback by her sentiments. He could not think of what would make him repulsive; this female must be naturally disagreeable. He could not completely bury a surge of anger and jealousy that pulsed through him like electricity. "We will be bonded tomorrow. If engaging in sexual acts with me is so revolting to you, I have a friend that is an expert in artificial insemination so you will never have to cope with my inexperience. I expect that you have probably had _so many_ sexual partners that the prospect of mating with me seems mundane." He rose from his chair trying to relax, as his nostrils flared in indignation. "I'm sure that I will be able to procure another to aid me during pon farr as apparently, fidelity is of little importance to your kind." He left her chambers without looking back and immediately retired to his room to meditate before he punched hole in the wall, _or in that horrid person_…

Onyxi stared at her door with her mouth hanging open for a moment. Her instinctual response was to feel sorry that she had hurt his feelings and was almost to the door to find him and apologize, but remembering that she was being forced into all of this, she stopped her hand before it reached the door opening mechanism. His facial expression had not changed during his tirade but his fury had been perceptible in the dangerous glimmer in his light brown eyes, the subtle clenching of his strong jaw and the fractionally harsher quality his voice had taken on. She started changing into her pajamas, hating the Vulcans for doing this to them, doing this to _her_. She missed her job, missed her boyfriend, but most of all she missed a time and place when no one would have considered her as an object to put a price on. On earth she had been respected, here she was just a baby factory.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Understanding**

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Torvan was having little success with meditation. How could he meditate when his mind was caught up in a whirlwind of not quite repressed emotion? He would have to be bonded with the Terran but she didn't want him; he wanted her to want him, very much. He had told her they would be bonded tomorrow but, that was no longer a good idea. She was so opposed to him in every way that it was likely her mind would not even accept the bond. It would be logical to apologize but, he did not want to. It was she that should apologize. No…they were both at fault really. He had let his irrational jealousy cloud his judgment. Now that he had a chance to reflect upon their conversation he realized that something else had been bothering her, deeply. He had been too concerned with his own needs to recognize her distress. He rose from the lotus position and walked to her room.

Onyxi heard a gentle knock on her door; it had not awoken her, she hadn't been able to fall asleep when she was so upset. She felt outraged, guilty, used and offended.

"I understand if you do not wish to speak with me…I wish to apologized for my actions earlier, I was not in control of my emotions. I often have problems with this. I sense there is something bothering you that you did not mention when we…conversed. I would like you to explain to me what is bothering y-

Onyxi pushed the opening mechanism and did not look at him when the door opened; she just went and sat on the bed, staring at nothing in particular. "I would also like to apologize; I shouldn't blame you for what your government chooses to do. Surely you can see that this arrangement is unethical, if nothing else."

"I am not well studied in ethics; I do know that it is wrong to take away personal freedoms. Logic dictated that my people come up with some kind of solution. It may perhaps have been a wholly selfish decision. I must admit, I had never thought that the Terran women would not be given a choice. It would seem only logical that there would have been many willing volunteers, as the people of earth owe much too our people." Torvan knew immediately that he had said something to displease her; her eyes narrowed dangerously.

Onyxi laughed mirthlessly before responding. "You don't understand earth women very well do you?"

"That is becoming more apparent to me the longer we converse." Torvan couldn't help but appreciate how beautiful she was with only starlight to illuminate her features. "I believe I understand how abhorrent this situation is to you. I do not however, understand why you chose to claim that I was the cause of your distaste."

"I'm sorry; it was very illogical of me. I guess I just needed to release my anger somehow, you know?" Onyxi was now hoping that she could get him on her side, his support would be critical if she was to protest openly. Vulcans were three times stronger than humans, if he didn't want her to do something, she wouldn't be able to do it.

Torvan nodded but was still troubled. "Would you really prefer to have sexual relations with a Tellarite?"

Onyxi smirked, that had obviously been a real blow to his pride. "Honestly? Oh, fuck no. Humans say crazy things when they're mad."

Torvan felt better for a moment but furrowed his brow. "I will not force you to bond with me. I do not wish to cause you such distress and in any other circumstances; such an action would be considered a terrible crime."

Fear began to creep in as something dawned on Onyxi fully for the first time. "Do you think other men on vulcan would force their intended mates to bond or have sex with them?"

"It is highly likely that some individuals would have few qualms about using force, if that is what they believe to be the most logical course of action."

"You can see the logic, I take it?" Vulcans were startlingly cold it seemed.

"Yes, the logic is flawed however. There is a small chance of maintaining a peaceful culture if we immediately give our wives reason to distrust us. For there anything to be anything but a strong affectionate bond between bond mates is very unhealthful and distressing for both parties and such an occurrence is likely to encourage greater emotionalism and increase the likelihood of violence among the mixed couples and their offspring."

Onyxi nodded. "Doesn't being forced to bond with someone bother the vulcan guys at all? Doesn't it bother you?"

"Vulcans are bonded when they are seven years old; it is the minority among the followers of Surak that allow their children to choose their bond mate."

"I-I never knew that. I am sorry…"

"Why would you be sorry?"

"It never bothered you that you couldn't decide for yourself?"

"No, it would be illogical to be bothered by something one cannot change."

"But what if, what if you felt attracted to someone else?"

"That would be irrelevant and such an illogical emotion would be expected to be controlled, if not eliminated."

Onyxi amost wished they hadn't had this little chat, now she felt sorry for the humans _and_ the vulcans. She couldn't help it, tears streamed silently down her face. "That's so-so unfair. How can you stand it, denying every feeling of warmth you feel for someone?"

"I believe you misinterpret vulcan thought processes. It is about control, not denial." Torvan was concerned that something was wrong with Onyxi, her eyes were leaking. He stepped towards her cautiously. "It is safe for your eyes to excrete liquid in that way?"

"Yeah, it's safe, just embarrassing. It happens when humans get sad."

"I see." He didn't see _really_, he wasn't sure what sad was, but it did not appear to be a pleasant emotion. "Is there anything I could do that would make you stop feeling sad?"

"No, I think I just want to be left alone right now. Thank, you." She managed a weak smile; at least she'd gotten a more likable vulcan than she had originally assumed.

"Very well. Tomorrow, I thought you might like to visit the nearby caves? That is where my ancestors used to dwell."

"Yeah, maybe after I talk to my parents and my boyfriend, okay?"

Torvan nodded as he exited her room feeling stung by the mention of a boyfriend. This was not going at all as he had expected.

Onyxi lay back down and closed her eyes; she really needed to get some sleep. Maybe there was a way to get out of all this, if she could just get enough earth women on her side…


End file.
